Options, options, option: 3 Kitchen Design Options

I am currently working with a delightful couple who are looking at a kitchen renovation. Their home is starting to show its age a bit and the thought behind this renovation is to update the kitchen knowing that they are most likely going to sell the home in a couple of years. With that in mind, my process began to create kitchen design options for this family.

Kitchen Design Options: Step 1

When I meet with clients about a new kitchen design, I like to inquire what they currently like about their kitchen, what they dislike, and what would be their ‘dream’. For this couple, they listed the following:

the island made things pretty tight in their kitchen

the cupboards were feeling dated

there was wasted space above the cupboards

Here is what the kitchen currently looks like.

As you may or may not see, there is not sufficient room in between the island and the stove making this feel like a cramped kitchen. In addition, the overhang of the countertop on one side really doesn’t do a lot other than provide a little bit more counter space. If really felt like the home builder was trying to put in an island of this size just for the sake of saying the kitchen had an island.

Kitchen Design Options: Wish List

On the wish list for this kitchen is the following:

double oven

gas or induction cook top

small place for microwave as this was not a huge priority

more storage

take the cabinets up to the ceiling

Kitchen Design Options: 1

I always like to create one option where there are minimal changes (to save on the budget). For the first option (and all of the other options), the existing corner pantry has been removed to make the kitchen more spacious. This option keeps the cook top in the same place, the sink in the same place, the refrigerator in the same place, and the island in the same place (to save on the budget due to not having to worry about the floor repair). This option however, takes away the seating at the island. By taking the seating away from the island, it provides a decent 36” for the walking path. Although this incorporates the wishes, it is not my favourite plan for this family.

This plan also shows some options for the corner that sits on the wall oven side. I created an appliance garage to utilize that ‘dead corner’ as an option.

Kitchen Design Options: 2

In an attempt to keep seating, a second island plan was created. This plan includes the wish of having the cook top in the island incorporating a down draft fan. This plan provides seating for 2 at the island. I have placed the microwave in a lower cabinet in the island (not shown in this image).

This option shows the ‘dead corner’ being left open that is on the wall oven wall.

Again, this plan is not my favourite as I feel an island really pushes in this space.

Kitchen Design Options: 3

My clients mentioned that they were not opposed to a peninsula for their kitchen. During my visit, they talked about the potential for the peninsula to come out from the wall where the refrigerator is on. When I started to plan a peninsula option, it was not working out in that particular space. Instead, I created the following peninsula plan.

This plan allows for more seating than the other 2 plans (at the kitchen counter), it provides a lot of counter space, and provides plenty of space for more than one person to be in the space at one time.

This is the plan that we have been working off to make some final changes to come up with a final plan that we will work off of for the renovation. There are many small changes to make, but this gives my clients a really good sense of where their money will be spent and what the final product is going to look like. Just a side note on the lighting – this is not the final lighting plan. The pot lights that are in this plan were strictly placed for the rendering purposes only.

Not sure about how your upcoming renovation will turn out? Contact me today do discuss planning it all out prior to any work being started.